Robbery suspect ordered to stay away from DA

District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. was about to pay for his plain cheese pizza at Ciao Bella on Grove Street around 6:30 p.m. Sunday night when he felt a hand grab his.

“I was just getting a pizza to bring home,” he said. “I went to take some money out of the billfold and all of a sudden I saw a hand come across and grab it.”

The man grabbing the district attorney’s hand was identified as Jason P. Beaudreau, 27, of 17 Maplewood Road.

Mr. Early refused to let go of the money and other items.

“When I saw the hand coming over I got angry and that’s when I just dropped my shoulder a little bit and pushed him into the wall,” Mr. Early said.

Mr. Early told an employee at the 402 Grove St. restaurant that he was being robbed. As Mr. Early pinned Mr. Beaudreau against the wall another patron recognized Mr. Early and jumped in to help.

That other patron was Joe Hanrahan, a court officer in the Worcester Trial Court. Mr. Hanrahan helped hold Mr. Beaudreau, and the two men pulled him outside into the parking lot.

A third man helped hold Mr. Beaudreau until police arrived.

“The court officer and the other guy, they were the real heroes,” Mr. Early said. “If they hadn’t been there we wouldn’t have been able to keep the guy until police got there.”

When Mr. Beaudreau was pulled up, Mr. Early said, he noticed something fall out of the suspect’s pocket: a list that Mr. Early’s wife had written for him. It was a “to do” list of chores, some for their children.

Mr. Early got his things back. Mr. Beaudreau got something, too, a trip to the courthouse.

Mr. Beaudreau was arraigned yesterday in Central District Court on charges of assault and battery, unarmed robbery, disturbing the peace and disorderly conduct. A prosecutor from Essex County was brought in for the arraignment.

Essex County Assistant District Attorney Kelleen Forlizzi asked for $10,000 cash bail, an amount Mr. Beaudreau’s defense lawyer believed wouldn’t have been requested if Mr. Early hadn’t been the alleged victim.

“The commonwealth might not be asking for the same bail were it not involving such a high-profile case,” defense lawyer Alicia M. McKinley said.

Judge Steven Thomas placed Mr. Beaudreau on $2,000 cash bail and ordered him to stay away from the alleged victim and witnesses in the case. He was also told to stay away from the restaurant.

If he posts bail, Mr. Beaudreau will be under home confinement and on a monitoring device. The case was continued to Jan. 8.